A Gentleman Always Gets The Ladies

I'm a divorced 43-year-old man trying to get back into the dating scene. Being out of the loop for over 20 years, I expected to be a little rusty with the ladies, but I was extremely shocked to see how things have changed.

I've noticed that men have lost their noble etiquette around women. I went out with a few old buddies of mine a few weeks ago and was stunned to discover how some young men behave around women.

For example, one particular fellow had the nerve to grope a woman in a crowded area. I have no idea what type of pleasure he gained, but I personally thought it was tasteless.

That same night, another lad kept whistling at a woman in order to get her attention and used words like, "Psst, psst, hey bitch, come here!" I was revolted to see that the lady actually acknowledged him and walked toward him. But then it occurred to me that maybe this is the way things are now and maybe this is what women respond to.

Should I behave in a similar manner?

Regards, Daniel MathewsonWashington, D.C.

a lost commodity

Although some women have no self-dignity, such as the one who acknowledged the man who referred to her as a bitch, the reality is that most women would not tolerate such behavior.

In fact, chivalry is appreciated more than ever before due to the simple fact that is has become a rare quality among men.

boys will be boys

Just about all men have the same end goal in mind when it comes to women: Sex. Even though we find it comical and maybe even a little necessary to act like children among our buddies, that does not mean that we should act the same way in front of women — especially if we want to make love to them.

Unfortunately, there is a growing number of men who act like barbaric, out of control savages who are ruled by their penises. The problem with men behaving in such an unflattering way can be attributed to two important occurrences:

1- The Sexual Revolution Ever since women became more sexually liberated and less finicky about whom they shared their experiences with, men have somehow lost the need, as well as the motivation, to behave like gentlemen.

2- The Death Of The Nice Guy Men have begun to realize that because most women react with greater intensity toward men who place their estrogen levels on roller coaster-like highs (like the bad boy), there's no point in treating them as a "nice guy" would. Tried, tested and true, being "nice" just doesn't cut it.

For this reason, most men shy away from the nice guy image. That is not to say that they're bad guys per se, but they would much rather avoid being labeled "nice."

The sad thing about this is that men are confusing being a nice guy with being a gentleman. Consequently, as the nice guy slowly dies off, so too do the gentlemanly-like qualities that women appreciate so much.